After hanging up, Adam began making his holiday calls, starting with home.
His mother, Amy, naturally complained that Adam was not coming home for Christmas.
His father, Bob, expressed pride in Adam's accomplishments.
He also kept asking when The Lancet would publish Adam's paper.
For a big guy who worked in pest control, he was now remarkably fluent whenever he talked about a professional medical journal like The Lancet.
And, unsurprisingly, he had already told all their relatives and friends.
Judging by his tone, once The Lancet published Adam's paper, he would probably buy dozens or even hundreds of copies and place them in the most conspicuous spots at home and in his office.
Whenever he went to someone's house to exterminate pests, he would likely bring one along and casually let them spot it.
If he heard a heartfelt compliment, offering a ten-percent discount on pest control was not entirely out of the question.
Then his mother called all his younger siblings over.
They all gave Adam, their eldest brother, high marks for not showing up in person but never failing to send gifts that suited them perfectly.
They unanimously encouraged Adam to keep up the good work.
When the conversation gradually turned to Amy once again worrying about whom Adam would be sleeping with tonight, Adam promptly hung up.
Next, he called Juno and the others.
They had not come over this Christmas.
The reason was simple.
Their two families had cornered them in Boston.
Not only had Juno's father and stepmother come charging over with her younger sister.
Even Karen's parents, who were usually nowhere to be seen, had suddenly shown up with the "Karen junior model."
That was right!
Karen had a younger sister, a junior model her parents had produced elsewhere.
Although it had all